Slideshow: Top Technologies of 2013

Each January, the editors at our sister publication, EE Times, go through the list of electronics technologies that are overhyped as well as underexposed, to come up with what they believe will be hot areas during the next 12 months.

Click on the image below to check them out.

Personal UAVs are the next big toy and physical app. At the University of Warwick, a prototype UAV flew inside structurally unsound, hazardous, or radioactive buildings to identify hazards. Flying in these environments requires superior situational awareness, with the operator relying on onboard cameras operating in low-light conditions. Collisions are always a risk.
The Warwick researchers have come up with a UAV that requires only destination coordinates. The prototype uses an Xsens MTi sensor. Xsens combined its sensor-fusion algorithms and wireless protocols with STMicroelectronics’ iNEMO-M1, 9-axis MEMS to demonstrate a wireless 3-D body motion tracking system based on consumer-grade MEMS combo sensors.

Once you have taken a look through the photo gallery, let us know what you think in the comments section below. Do you agree, or are our editors way off-base?

Charles, Transient Electronics dissolvable tattoos add new meaning to wearable electronics. I wonder if the electronics are susceptible to MRI radiation causing them to explode. Myth Busters did an experiment to investigate if this incident is plausible.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiE3in71YEo

Personal UAVs have definitely become mainstream with hobbyists as well as the military. With user friendly microcontroller platforms like the Arduino and Raspberry Pi, anyone can participate in this cool aerial technology. I agree with this product being one of the top technologies of 2013. Chris Anderson has quit the Editorial Director job of Wired Magazine to devote his attention fulltime to DIY Drones. Here's a link to DIY Drones. http://diydrones.com/

I'm with you on the UAV's mrdon - they have great potential for lots of useful applications - thanks for sharing the website. In my opinion, many of these are niche technologies, so for me some are hard to get excited about, but I would imagine if you are in that particular field you would be very excited. Interesting to read about CERN and the laws of physics supposedly being proven with their discovery - it brings back memories of the Super Collider in Waxahachie and the great hopes that were placed there. Not surprising to read about the evolving semiconductor technologies - it is the nature of the beast. As the demands of technology change, semiconductor manufacturers will need to respond with R&D or be left in the dust.

I'm with you on the UAV's mrdon - they have great potential for lots of useful applications - thanks for sharing the website. In my opinion, many of these are niche technologies, so for me some are hard to get excited about, but I would imagine if you are in that particular field you would be very excited. Interesting to read about CERN and the laws of physics supposedly being proven with their discovery - it brings back memories of the Super Collider in Waxahachie and the great hopes that were placed there. Not surprising to read about the evolving semiconductor technologies - it is the nature of the beast. As the demands of technology change, semiconductor manufacturers will need to respond with R&D or be left in the dust.

Nancy Golden, To get involve with UAV development is a matter of ordering a quadcopter kit and building it. UAV applications are endless as well as the research in non-operator flight controls and teleoperations with smartphones is just the tip of the iceberg in this scientific arena. A group of Capstone Students here at the Madison, AL ITT Tech campus are building a quadcopter from scratch using an Arduino as the brains for their UAV. Pretty impressive stuff they've built. Also, here's a link to Parallax Elev-8 Quadcopter kit for an additional reference.http://www.parallax.com/StoreSearchResults/tabid/768/txtSearch/Quadcopter/List/0/SortField/4/ProductID/799/Default.aspx

This idea of cloud computing is a significant technology for the inventor who's interested in developing a product without the overhead of equipment. Cloud computing manufacturing makes for an intriguing business model for the service sector. I'm very interested to see how this manufacturing trend turns out for 3D printing industry with companies like MakerBot and Solidoodle who build reasonable machines for small manufacturers, trade schools, and makers. Here's a link to Solidoodle for additional information about their 3D printer. http://www.solidoodle.com/

I can see wireless lighting controlling technologies being a significant contributor for 2013 because of the potential to reduce energy cost. The Philips' Hue Lighting System is a cool interactive control that allows you to select light receipes for various activities and events. In viewing the video, not quite sure how it falls within The Internet of Things concept because of the no data storage capability to the Cloud. Although, the slide says it works with both iOS and Android devices, the Hue Lighting System website says it can be purchased at any Apple Store. Check out the video with this link. www.meethue.com

I agree there were several left off of the list but I'm sure each technology thinks it's the "next big thing". We live in fascinating times as far as technology goes. I would love to get in a time machine and flash forward 50 years. (I will say a well designed time machine) I'll bet we would not recognize the technology thought to be commonplace. I know there are truly fascinating things happening in the biomedical engineering fields that will not only save lives but extend lives. Exciting times.

There's some fascinating stuff here, and I think your predictions are fairly accurate given the activity in various inustries. I personally am excited about developments in solar cells, as I am hoping the use and adoption of alternative energy trends significantly upward this year. It really is the way forward and the way out of fossil-fuel dependence.

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